Thursday, January 22, 2009

Self-publishing encouragement

Here's some encouragement for anyone considering self-publishing. Last night I was preparing data for our annual meeting with the accountant to file income taxes. Given publication of my book in September 2008, under law I must report expenses and income related to that endeavor. Yes, income tax is statutory. It's in Title 26 of the United States Code, despite the wailing of stupid tax protesters who claim otherwise. They probably mean it's not in the Constitution, which is correct. But you can Google and find arguments that it's not lawful or it's not in the law. Wrong. You may not agree with the law, but it's the law (until it isn't - which of course is the solution).

But I digress. . . . I'm proud to report that I spent $2761.29 on publishing, marketing, and promotion of The Beat Handbook in 2008.

During that same period I earned a whopping $468.12 on sales (that includes Amazon sales, personal sales, Amazon referrals from my website and blog, and Google Adsense).

2 comments:

Rick - Nice post and congratulations on your "The Beat Handbook." You're right, book sales and royalties is an important consideration in self-publishing.

I noticed that you published under Booksurge. They are a popular option and do have an alliance with Amazon, makes them appealing on the surface, but that affiliation is actually their largest disadvantage, since your book will only be available on Amazon. Booksurge doesn't list books on Barnes & Noble or any other web retailer nor do they automatically distribute through the largest US book wholesaler, Ingram.

You may want to check out Outskirts Press. Outskirts Press lists books on Amazon, along with all those other places Booksurge misses.

Jack Kerouac

About the Author

Rick Dale is a Jack Kerouac enthusiast who lives with his partner, Crystal, and Karma the cat in the capital city of Maine. The Beat Handbook, available below, is his first book. His second and subsequent books reside in his brain for the time being....

Buy The Beat Handbook

Reviews of The Beat Handbook

Gerald Nicosia, author of the acclaimed Kerouac biography Memory Babe, said The Beat Handbook is "full of Jack's heart."

Jared Randall, author of the excellent book of poetry, Apocryphal Road Code, said this about The Beat Handbook: "Sometimes a book comes along at just the right time. In my wandering pack of experiences, I find they often do. Enter The Beat Handbook by Rick Dale."

Kenneth Morris, Kerouacian extraordinaire, said this:"I just finished reading Rick Dale's beautiful utterance and call to action of Kerouac mind-set and zen sensibilities. It made me laugh and reflect on my own life and road I have naturally grooved into after absorbing the Kerouac canon. The road less traveled always had my name on it. And that has made all the difference. The Beat Handbook 100 Days of Kerouactions reaffirms the attitudes and ideology that made the Beats and Kerouac the important men of ideas that America (and the world) thirsted for, needed, and swallowed whole. Beautiful, absorbing, Top Ten whipsmart from my articulate, tender-hearted friend and fellow traveler. Highly recommended."